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Taiwan cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa var. formosana Rehd.) is a
species of great importance to Taiwan''s forestry. This study
in- tended to find out the probable causes of uprooting based
on the types and characteristics of uprooted trees in that
area. The objectives of this study were: (1) to identify the
main characteristic of the uprooted trees based on the above-
and below-ground parts; (2) to establish relationship between
the above- and below-ground parts of the uprooted trees; and
(3) to observe and record the micro-environmental factors of
uprooted trees, in particular the soil profile characteristics.
Based on the observations, three types of root systems can be
distinguished for the uprooted Taiwan cypress. Among all the
rel- ationships examined between the above- and below-ground
parts of uproot trees, the only relationship that was found to
be statist- ically significant was the average root span width
and the tree height. The frequency distribution of Crown width,
H to RW ratio, RSD, L9 and B9 of the rooted trees all exhibited
a certain degree of concentration in their respective frequency
classes, suggest- ing individuals with certain characteristics
might have a higher likelihood of being blown down. In
addition, using GPS, this study also recorded the position of
each uprooted in the study area. Though overlaying such infor-
mation with different environment attributes through the use of
GIS did not yield any significant finding, such an approach may
lead to a better understanding of the uprooting process of
Taiwan cypress if more localized and detail site attributes can
be measured. Since only uprooted trees were observed in this
study, to be to develop a risk assessment model, living
standing trees have to be included in future research.
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